Pop sensation Jade MacRae set to star at new at Beechworth Romance Festival

What: Beechworth Romance Festival
Where: La Trobe Campus, Beechworth
When: St. Valentines Day, Saturday 14 Feb 2009
Tickets: www.beechworthonline.com.au

Anyone planning an unforgettable St. Valentines Day need look no further than the beautiful town of Beechworth in Victoria’s North East where a brand new Romance Festival will take place in 2009.

This unique day-long celebration of love and romance will take place on Saturday 14 February in and around the picturesque gardens and historic buildings of La Trobe at Beechworth.

Featuring a packed all-day program of fine local food and wine, music, film and a host of opportunities for lovers to enjoy and celebrate this special day, the Festival will offer a truly memorable experience for romantics of all ages.

A highlight of the Romance Festival will be a performance by the sensational singer, recording star and TV celebrity, Jade MacRae who will headline at the Romantic Zeale Concert from 3 to 9pm. One of the most popular and talented performers on the Australian stage, she has two fabulous ARIA-nominated albums to her credit along with hit singles including this year’s sizzling, In the Basement and I Wanna be in Love.

Also on the bill is singer and Australian Idol pin-up, Ricky Muscat, and a superb line-up of local talent. The concert emcee will be TV personality, John Walker.

The Beechworth Romance Festival will also include:
• Romance Acting Workshops at the Beechworth Town Hall with actor and former Albury-boy, Malcolm Kennard, (Packed to the Rafters, The Matrix, E-Street)
• Renewal of Vows with local marriage celebrant, Simon Goss the La Trobe chapel
• An all-day Romance Expo for couples planning a special wedding day
• The Passion Lunch and Passion Dinner in the gorgeous La Trobe gardens with delicious three-course menus featuring superb local produce accompanied by fine wines of the area
• A screening of the blockbuster romance, Australia, on the big outdoor screen accompanied by picnic hampers packed with gourmet treats, local wine and beer


Accommodation Available at La Trobe. Phone 03 5720 8050
Full program details and bookings:
Phone 1300 366 321 or go to www.beechworthonline.com.au

New tour uncovers old Beechworth

Visitors to Beechworth this January have the chance to discover a new side of the historic town with the launch of the Town Walking Tour.

The tour will complement the hugely popular Ned Kelly and Gold walking tours which have become a must for tourists to the area since their launch three years ago.

The new tour will explore the town’s rich Gold Era history, uncovering fascinating and often little-known stories about the characters and events that shaped Beechworth’s early development.

Expert guides from the Visitor Information Centre will lead the tour on a leisurely hour-long stroll through the wide, tree-lined avenues and beautifully preserved streetscapes of Beechworth.

Along the way, visitors will stop at more than two dozen sites, including the Robert O’Hara Burke Memorial Museum, one of Australia’s best regional museums named after the ill-fated explorer and one-time Police Superintendent of Beechworth.

Other notable sites include:

· The old Temple Bar Hotel in Ford Street, one of more than 60 licensed premises operating in the area in the 1870s. They will learn about the publican who advertised in the Constitution & Ovens Mining Intelligencer for a “kangaroo and an emu for this hotel – wanted dead or alive.”

· The Old Anglican Schoolhouse whose alumni include noted geologist Edward John Dunn and the first Australian-born Governor General Sir Isaac Isaacs

· St. Joseph’s Presbytery in Church Street where Kelly Gang associate turned police informer, Aaron Sherritt married Ellen Barry in 1879.



The new Town Walking Tour will leave from the Beechworth VIC every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 1pm from 5 January until 1 February.

Bookings and enquiries at Beechworth Visitor Information Centre,
phone 1300 366 321 or visit www.beechworthonline.com.au

Indigo towns join forces for big weekend event

The many delights of Indigo Shire were promoted across the weekend at the 2AY RACV House & Garden Show at the Albury Wodonga Gateway.
Indigo towns join forces for big weekend event

The event, which saw big crowds turn out for a program of events which included TV star, Don Burke, offered a sensational promotional opportunity for towns across the Shire.

The Indigo Tourism Advisory Committee Chairman, Damian Adams, said he was delighted to see representatives from each town combine to present an excellent showcase of the area's attractions. The displays included visitor guides, maps, photos, displays of historical artefacts, fine wines and a special cycle tourism promotion.

Hundreds of people lodged entries in the raffle of a host of prizes generously donated by operators from across the region including accommodation, adventure activities, wines and a range of guided tours.

Historic Burke treasure stars in new circus exhibition

Friday 17 October 2008

A treasure of Beechworth’s Burke Museum collection, an original woodblock, Ashton’s Circus circa 1857, is featuring in a new touring exhibition - Step Right Up - celebrating the circus in Australian art.


The object, by an unknown artist, is the oldest work on display as part of the exhibition at the Albury Art Gallery until 23 November ahead of a national tour including The Arts Centre in Melbourne, Museum of Brisbane and Art Gallery of Northern Territory.


A print taken from the historic woodblock by artist Vincent Drane will also feature in Step Right Up. The print, made at the National Trust-owned Federal Standard Printing Works in Chiltern, was commissioned by the Burke Museum in 2000 to promote a touring exhibition of its own amazing visual art collection, Following the Fortune Hunters: The Art and Culture of the Ovens Goldfield.


A joint project of the Albury Art Gallery and the Flying Fruit Fly Circus, Step Right Up - the Circus in Australian Art also features pieces from the Albury City collection, works commissioned by artists specifically for this event and historical and contemporary artworks drawn from State, Regional, commercial and private collections. Works from major artists such as John Brack, Fred Williams, Ken Whisson, Jeffrey Smart and John Olsen are included in the exhibition.


The historic woodblock is one of thousands of objects, artworks and curiosities held in the treasure trove that is Beechworth’s Burke Museum. A nationally significant collection of Aboriginal artefacts from the early to mid-19th century, an amazing natural history collection, one of the four original Ned Kelly death masks and thousands of documents, journals and photographs from Beechworth’s heady gold rush days to the present are among the permanent collections on display at this fine regional museum, a jewel of Beechworth’s Historic and Cultural Precinct.


As part of its own exhibitions program, the Burke Museum is currently featuring Women Vote: They Picked up the Patter with Amazing Fluency commemorating the contribution of Beechworth women to the Monster Petition presented to the Victorian Parliament in 1891 calling for the right to vote. See full details at: www.beechworth.com/burkemus/exhibits

Visit Beechworth This Weekend & Sample Bridge Road Brewers’ “Nutty” Lager

Bridge Road Brewers is proud to announce the release of its latest brew, the Chestnut Lager. Brewed with local chestnuts and hops and aged for over 4 months this Beechworth lager is unique in Australia.

The brewery had been approached by local chestnut growers looking to value add to their produce. Beechworth and its close neighbor Stanley are Australia’s chestnut growing capital. The region is also home to some of Victoria’s last remaining hop gardens, with the Rostrevor Hop Garden in the Ovens Valley near Myrtleford growing the Galaxy hops that have been used in the Lager.

Brewer Ben Kraus said the lager was challenging to brew, however the initial test batch has proved a huge success. Demand for the beer has been strong and the brewery is currently brewing two more batches for release prior to Christmas.

The current release is available to take away directly from the brewery, and from a limited number of city stockists. The beer will also feature as part of the Beechworth Oktoberfest on the 11th and 12th of October. But be warned it wont last long.

Best Western Beechworth Motel wins for most upgrades and improvements

The Best Western Beechworth Motor Inn (Beechworth, Victoria) has been announced as the winner of the Best Western Award for Excellence in the category of Most Improvements and Upgrades within a Best Western Property.

The award, announced at the Best Western Annual Convention in Auckland, New Zealand, recognises the Best Western property that has made the most improvements throughout the year.

The Best Western Beechworth Motor Inn spent $140,000 on renovating all 10 suites. Bathrooms were replaced, wall lighting was removed and replaced with elegant lamps and indirect lighting, and all soft furnishings and carpets were replaced with new items in muted autumnal colours. On the strength of these, the Best Western Beechworth Motor Inn was judged to have made the most outstanding improvements.

“This award justifies the time and effort that has been put into this project,” says Robert Ransom of the Best Western Beechworth Motor Inn. “The result has been overwhelming. Using local tradesmen to contribute to the refurbishment has injected more confidence in us to expand the motel to the next level.”

The Best Western Beechworth Motor Inn is a three-and-a-half star property featuring single, queen and large family rooms on one-and-a-half acres of leafy landscaped gardens.

Located only one kilometre from the centre of Beechworth, the property is an ideal base for corporate guests. All suites feature undercover parking and easy access to a large swimming pool, sun deck and private BBQ area.
Source: Best Western

Well Done Rob & Janelle - Keep up the great work - from the Beechworth Visitor Information Centre Team.

Abseiling Adventures In Beechworth this Saturday 11th October 2008

MORNING ABSEILING IN THE BEECHWORTH GORGE
3 Hours 10 AM to 1 PM

We will be offering morning abseiling adventures in the Beechworth Gorge EACH DAY from

Saturday 11th October (Note that if you don’t book early we may be booked out) Price

$88.00pp ($80.00pp for families or groups of three or more)


Suitable for most ages and levels of fitness
All safety gear supplied
ABSEIL from a 25-metre cliff on the Gorge road at Beechworth. (We also have a 10 metre introductory cliff for the nervous) The cliffs are only a short distance from the Town and have excellent views of the woolshed valley and the Granite ranges of Mt Pilot


The Site
Located on the gorge road the cliffs are just past the Bailey bridge over spring creek. Beechworth built the gorge road with prize moneys won during the 1930’s best tourist town awards.

The Adventure
We drive in convoy from Beechworth to the abseil site then after rigging up and having a safety brief we walk to the top of the cliffs to start the first abseil. You can then abseil as many times as you like in the time block.

Level Of Difficulty
Easy

Where to meet
Meet at the BEECHWORTH Visitors Information Centre Ford St Beechworth at 10 AM

You Need
Your own vehicle (The sites are about 15 Km from Beechworth) some water and comfortable rubber soled shoes or boots.


Bring any personal Medication (Asthma Etc)
Cost
$88 per participant (Regardless of age)
$77 for Pensioners or seniors card holders
$80 pp for families or groups of 3 or more
You can pay the guide cash on the day

Beechworth Kinder - Movie Night - Mumma Me

Movie Night
Mamna Mia!
Date: Friday 10th October 2008


The Old Priory - 7.30pm - $20 per person
$10 for Students (accompanied by an adult)
Drinks at Bar Prices - Supper Provided
Tickets avaiable at the door

Fundraiser for Bikes & Trikes

BEECHWORTH OKTOBERFEST 2008

Beechworth craft-brewery Bridge Road Brewers is hosting its forth annual Oktoberfest. Located in the heart of town, this small brewery has a swag of awards to its name, and is ready for this years celebration of beer and music to be its best yet. The event is based around the original Oktoberfest held in Munich in late September each year.

The Beechworth event will be held on Sat 11th and Sun 12th of October, from 11am till 6pm. October is also the breweries official beer month, with other events being planned for October including a beer degustation evening and special brewing events.
Visitors are encouraged to get out the Lederhosen or Dirndl (traditional Bavarian dress) and enjoy the festivities. This family weekend will include children’s activities, plenty of beer, German cuisine and fun for all with a traditional ohm-pah band belting out some great drinking tunes.

Bridge Road Brewers, established by Ben Kraus and his Austrian partner Maria Frischmann, has been brewing its beers for a little over 3 years and has come a long way from its origins in the family garage where the business spent its first year. Its relocation to an old coach house in Beechworth’s centre has proven a success. The brewery has been able to expand its range of beers, currently nine, and increase its production capacity to almost double.

Oktoberfest Entertainment will be provided by Alpine Cocktail, specialists in German ohm-pah music, with vocalist Rene hailing from Vienna, Austria.
The new venue has also allowed the addition of a kitchen to the brewery, where, apart from the giant pretzels, pizzas are the pick of the lunch time menu.
The Beechworth Oktoberfest will be held at Bridge Road Brewers, off Ford St, behind Tanswell’s Hotel, rear access from High St. It will be held between 11am and 6pm on Sat 11th and Sun 12th of October.

For further inquiries please contact Ben or Maria on 0357282703, or drop in to Bridge Road
Brewers.

Koala at Silver Creek Caravan Park

Thanks to Deb and Chris at Silver Creek Carvan park for sending in photos of a Koala visiting the park.

In Beechworth Today back in 1878

Daniel our wonderful Walking Tour Guide is full of interesting information. Thanks for today's interesting fact Daniel.

On the 9th October 1878 (130 years ago) Ellen Kelly (Ned's mum) was given 3 years hard labour for attempted murder of Constable Fitzpatrick. She appeared in the Beechworth Courthouse before Redmond Barry with baby Alice at her breast. Neighbour "Bricky" Williamson and son-in-law Bill Skillion were each given 6 years hard labour over the same offence.

Snow in Beechworth

We had snowflakes falling in Beechworth last Sunday morning around 10am. Unfortunately the ground wasn't cold enough so the snow melted once it hit the ground.

And would you believe it folks? I left my camera at home the day it snowed in Beechworth . Thanks to Jim Didolis of Freeman On Ford for sending in some snow photos.

Ned Kelly Weekend Photos

Thanks to Jim Didolis of Freeman On Ford for sending in photos taken at the Ned Kelly Weekend.

Beechworth set to celebrate a legend Ned Kelly Weekend on two weeks from today Fri 1, Sat 2 & Sun 3 August

Ned Kelly enthusiasts from around the country are set to flock to Beechworth in the North East of Victoria for the historic gold-era town’s celebration of its links with Australia’s most notorious bushranger from Friday 1 to Sunday 3 August.

This year’s packed program, taking place in the 150 year-old Historic & Cultural Precinct, has attracted bookings from as far afield as Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland.

Many Ned Kelly Weekend visitors are regulars at the annual event, and include direct descendents of some of the principal players in the Kelly story. This year they include Nola Love, the great granddaughter of Constable McIntyre who was the sole survivor of the police shooting by the Kelly Gang at Stringybark Creek and Leigh Olver, a direct descendent of Ned’s mother, Ellen Kelly.


Now in its fifth year and regarded as Australia’s most significant annual celebration of the Ned Kelly story, the Ned Kelly Weekend commemorates the anniversary of the outlaw’s committal hearing held in the historic Courthouse from 6 to 11 August 1880. Sentenced to death and hanged later that year, the bushranger’s celebrity shows no sign of fading nearly 130 years on.


This year’s Ned Kelly Weekend offers a lively and entertaining program to suit all tastes and pockets and includes new events as well as old favourites.


New this year is the Ned Kelly Weekend Heritage Market on Saturday 2 August. From 10am until 2pm, the Historic Precinct area of Ford Street will be closed to traffic and transformed into a colourful market square featuring delicious, good old-fashioned food such as soup and damper and tea and scones, as well as traditional crafts including spinning and weaving, knitting, demonstrations of wood crafts, blacksmithing, coopering and whip making, along with live music and buskers.

And back by popular demand is the Ned Kelly Weekend opening event Ned at the Nic – a traditional Music Hall ‘knees up’ at the Nicholas Hotel, featuring a sit-down three course dinner, entertainment from another local legend, Lazy Harry and his sensational band, dancing until late and the hugely popular Ned Kelly trivia quiz.



Also featuring across the weekend are theatre productions, a fabulous Kelly-themed art show, the unveiling of a new display of one of the four original Ned Kelly death masks at the Burke Museum, talks in the Historic Courthouse by Ned Kelly experts, the re-enactment of the Committal Hearing on Saturday and Sunday, the new Best Beard competition, The Great Fight commemoration and Ned On the Big Screen in the historic Town Hall.



Full weekend passes or tickets to individual events are available at www.beechworthonline.com.au
or phone the Beechworth Visitor Information Centre on 1300 366 321

Seating increased 50 percent for Tim Flannery’s talk in Beechworth

The response to this year’s Kerferd Oration in Beechworth by Professor Tim Flannery has been so strong that organisers have enlarged the seating capacity from 300 to 450 seats.

The oration is being held at the Kerferd Conference Centre at the Beechworth campus of La Trobe University on Sunday, July 27, at 11am.

Kerferd Oration committee member Joan Simms said the response this year had been “quite overwhelming”

“So many people want to hear from someone like Professor Flannery. His oration on The Climate Change Challenge is more topical than ever. There’s been the recent draft Garnaut report, various local moves towards forming sustainability groups and a growing awareness of the need for all of us to do our bit for the environment,” Ms Simms said.

“We’ve had to increase the seating in the Kerferd Conference Centre to 450 seats and we have provision to stretch that a bit more to the deck outside,” Ms Simms said.

“We have advertised that doors open at 10.15am and the feedback we are getting is that some people are coming quite early to queue up before that. One group has told me they are bringing their breakfast to have in the grounds while they keep an eye on the length of the queue.

"And I know of another group from Melbourne who are extending their holiday at the snow, and staying in Beechworth overnight to attend the Oration.”

Ms Simms stressed that no booking was required for this free community event, however only the first 450 people at the door would be certain of getting a seat inside the conference room.

Students from Year 7 at the Beechworth Secondary College will have artworks and installations on the theme of sustainability on display inside the conference centre.

Parking is limited close to the conference centre and Ms Simms advised people to park in nearby streets and walk in to the venue.

Beechworth businesses ‘tread softly’ as environmental art takes to the streets

Beechworth businesses have offered their shop windows for the month of July to display the work of dozens of regional artists taking part in tread softly, an exhibition focusing on environmental issues relating to climate change, global warming and loss of habitat and biodiversity.

The exhibition is being presented in the lead-up to the 2008 Kerford Oration which will be delivered by Professor Tim Flannery on ‘The Climate Change Challenge’ at LaTrobe University’s Beechworth campus on Sunday 27 July at 11am.

tread softly, which includes works on paper, photography, paintings, objects, jewellery and sculpture, celebrates the environment and draws attention to environmental issues as well as provides a showcase for the ideas and work of regional artists.

A diverse range of subjects tackled by artists featuring in the exhibition include a commentary on the impact of domestic pets on native wildlife, declining river systems, salinity, drought, the massive and mounting global problem of waste disposal and the warming of the planet as a result of human impact.

But while many of the themes are both confronting and alarming, the work Milagros for Beechworth by gold & silversmith, Rose Wedler, on display in the Pots of Thyme window, tells a good news story. The work celebrates the small miracle of the rediscovery near Beechworth a few years ago of a plant previously thought extinct – the Swainsona recta or Purple Pea.

Catalogues for this intriguing and innovative exhibition are available from the Beechworth Visitor Information Centre at 101 Ford Street. In keeping with the theme of tread softly, collection points for recycling the catalogues are available around the shopping precinct.

Painting The Beechworth Town Hall Almost Complete

The Beechworth Town Hall has been unavailable for June whilst the painters from Period Restoration moved into give the Town Hall a make over.

We think they have done a terrific job! Well done to Graham and the team! The Town Hall will be available for bookings by the end of next week.

Congratualations to our July Operators of the Month

Congratulations to our June Operators of the Month: Milawa Mustards, Gorge Walk B&B, Stone Cottage and Kinross B&B. Our operators of the month have their brochure in prime position with in the VIC and their image and link on the home page of www.beechworthonline.com.au

Beechworth Celtic Festival, 7th-9th November 2008

Beechworth’s annual salute to its Celtic heritage, now in its 14th year, is set to be the best yet.
This three day event set in Historic Beechworth celebrates all things Celtic, with a full program of live music, theatre, dancing, comedy, pipe bands and a street parade. The Celtic Festival is a diverse event with something to offer every age group.

Highlights of the 2008 program include a Gala Celtic Dinner to open the weekend on Friday evening and the Official Celtic concert to be held on Saturday evening. The concert evening will feature a night not to be missed, with live music, dance, comedy and a theatrical performance from the renowned Celtic group Braemar. The theatrical production, Lochaber No More, outlines the history of the Jacobite Rebellion in narrative and song.

Ticketed live music venues will be located throughout beautiful Beechworth, in its historic hotels and halls, with a free chalkboard stage to be located in the heart of town. The street parade, a great event for families, will feature a number of pipe bands, dancers and other performances.

The Celtic Festival is truly a festival of fun, entertainment and celebration in the celtic spirit. So put on your favourite kilt and get yourself up the hill to Beechworth this November to celebrate all things Celtic.

For further information or ticket enquiries visit http://beechworthcelticfestival.com.au or phone the Beechworth Visitor Information Centre 1300 366 321 for accommodation and other enquiries.

The Beechworth Celtic Festival Inc.

“Beneath My Feet 1”

There was some excitement this afternoon when we had a visit from Angela Perry today.

Angela Perry is a local Beechworth resident and has hand pieced and quilted “Beneath My Feet 1” which is the pattern of the floor in the Beechworth Town Hall foyer. Angela sourced fabrics from Canberra and finished the quilt in 9 weeks. Amazing!

Photos include: Angela Perry & Anne Wilson (Beechworth Visitor Information Centre) with the quilt.

Tim Flannery to give Tim Flannery to give

2008 George Briscoe Kerferd Oration
Date: Sunday 27 July
Time: 11am
Venue: LaTrobe University, Beechworth

Renowned scientist and climate change expert Professor Tim Flannery will deliver the annual Kerferd Oration in Beechworth, in North East Victoria, next month.
Professor Flannery, Australian of the Year in 2007, is well known around the world for his position on global warming and environmental issues. An internationally acclaimed scientist and conservationist, Professor Flannery has published more than 130 peer-reviewed scientific papers, but it is his landmark book The Weather Makers that sets him apart. This book has received widespread praise for its informed and balanced approach to climate change and has been translated into more than 20 languages. In 2006 it won the NSWPremier’s Literary Prizes for Best Critical Writing and Book of the Year.

In 2007 Professor Flannery co-founded and was appointed Chair of The Copenhagen
Climate Council, a coalition of community, business and political leaders who have come together to confront climate change.

Professor Flannery will deliver the George Briscoe Kerferd Oration at 11am on Sunday July 27, at the Beechworth campus of LaTrobe University.

Past orators at this free community event were the then Deputy Premier of Victoria the Hon John Thwaites (2007); Cathy McGowan AO (2006); Professor Henry Brodaty AO (2005);Barbara Holborow OAM (2004) and the then Chief Justice of Victoria the Hon John PhillipsAC (2003).

This annual oration, now in its sixth year and jointly sponsored by Indigo Shire Council, Latrobe University and corporate sponsor WAW Credit Union, is named after one of the founding fathers of Beechworth. George Kerferd was a very public minded man. In 1857, just five years after gold was discovered at Beechworth, he was a member of the Beechworth Municipal Council and later its president for some years. He helped establish the Ovens District Hospital and was involved with the establishment of the Ovens Benevolent Asylum. In 1864 he entered Victorian Parliament as the Ovens District representative, holding
portfolios in six ministries before becoming Premier in 1874.

Ned Kelly Weekend 2008 Tickets Now On Sale

Ned Kelly Weekend 2008 tickets are now on sale.

Book your tickets online www.beechworthonline.com.au to Australia's most significant Ned Kelly Event. A weekend packed full of activities for the Ned Kelly enthusiast.

For phone bookings call the Beechworth Visitor Information Centre on 1300 366 321

Ned Kelly Weekend 2008 Program

About the Beechworth Ned Kelly Weekend

Beechworth’s famous Ned Kelly Weekend returns from 1- 3 August with a lively program of re-enactments, theatre, art, music, displays, market stalls, competitions and talks by leading authorities on the subject of the life and times of Australia’s most notorious bushranger.

Now in its fifth year, Australia’s most significant annual celebration of the Kelly legend commemorates the anniversary of the outlaw’s committal hearing held in the historic Beechworth Courthouse from 6 to 11 August 1880.

This year’s Ned Kelly Weekend has the added significance of the 150th anniversary of the Beechworth Historic & Cultural Precinct, being commemorated throughout 2008. This year for the first time, tours of the Courthouse will be available across the Ned Kelly Weekend in recognition of the sesquicentenary.

2008 Ned Kelly Weekend Program

Friday 1 August
Ned at the Nic
Nicholas Hotel, Ford Street
7pm – late
Tickets: $45 including three course dinner. Tables of 10 (max. seating 80)

Back by popular demand in 2008, this rollicking night out kicks off the Ned Kelly Weekend in fine style. In the tradition of the old Music Hall, join us for a hearty three-course traditional roast dinner and a great night’s entertainment.

Live music and dancing to Lazy Harry’s sensational three-piece band, Kelly Trivia, lots of prizes and much more.

Dress up in your best period costume and celebrate the opening of Ned Kelly Weekend with gusto!

Saturday 2 August

10am – 5pm: Exhibition - Framed
Sub Treasury Building, Beechworth Historic Precinct
Ford Street
Entry by gold coin donation

Return of the sensational Kelly-inspired art show and open across the weekend. A hit of the 2007 Ned Kelly event, Framed features dozens of original paintings, sculpture, objects and works on paper by local and interstate artists This year the general public will have the chance to vote for their favourite work in the Framed People’s Choice Award.
Beechworth artist, Janene Delves, with her work, Everywhere is Ned, on display at Framed 2007

10am – 4pm: The Ned Kelly Weekend Heritage Market
Ford Street, outside the Historic & Cultural Precinct
New in 2008, this day-long event will transform the Precinct end of Ford Street into a colourful Gold-era market featuring an array of traditional craft stalls such as spinning and weaving, quilting, the art of shoemaking, shingle-making, pickles and preserves, delicious hot food and much more. Fun for the whole family – tug ‘o war, kite flying and organized games for the kids in the Police Paddock.

10:15am – 10:45am: Re-enactment - Ned Kelly’s arrival at the Courthouse
Historic Precinct, Ford Street
Ahead of his Preliminary Trial, don’t miss this Ned Kelly Weekend favourite - the colourful, fully costumed re-staging of Ned’s arrival under police escort at the Historic Precinct, Ford Street.

11am – 1pm:Re-enactment – Ned Kelly’s Committal Hearing at the historic Beechworth Courthouse, Ford Street
Tickets: $22 adults, $11 children
Ned Kelly was brought to the Beechworth Courthouse to answer a charge of murder. This re-enactment of the Committal Hearing of Ned Kelly which took place from 6 – 11 August 1880 offers a fascinating insight into one of the momentous events of Australian legal history.

12 Noon – 12:30pm: Ned on the Big Screen
The Story of the Kelly Gang
Beechworth Town Hall, Ford Street
Gold coin donation
Screening of the historic 1906 film, believed to be the world’s first feature-length movie.

2pm - 3pm: Talks by the Experts
www.ironoutlaw.com's Brad Webb on Ned Kelly and the emergence of technology
Beechworth Historic Courthouse
Tickets: $17 adults, $11 children

As the Kelly outbreak intensified it was the telegraph that kept the population enthralled with news of the Gang’s daring exploits. Imagine what might have happened if Ned had really embraced this 'new' medium and wired the Jerilderie Letter to every newspaper in the country? Today it is the internet which will guarantee Ned Kelly’s ongoing celebrity. Brad Webb’s www.ironoutlaw.com is one of the world’s largest and most visited history-related websites, receiving more than 8.5 million hits a year. This fascinating talk will trace the 'true online history of the Kelly Gang' from the telegraph to the internet.

3:30pm – 4:30pmpm: Special Tour: Ellen Kelly-at the Beechworth Courthouse
$5 adults, $3.50 concession, $10 per family
In recognition of the 150th anniversary in 2008, the Historic Courthouse will be open for special guided and self-guided tours on Saturday and Sunday. The Ellen Kelly Tour will be led by Noelene Allen, a specialist on the subject of the and times of Ned Kelly’s mother, Ellen.

7:30pm: Performance - The Jerilderie Letter
devised and performed by Peter Finlay with music by Malcolm Hill
Beechworth Historic Courthouse
Tickets: $33, no concessions
Running time one hour
“In Lloyd Jones production, Kelly's shaved, white, severed head -- a death mask on a plinth -- does the talking. Peter Finlay is the actor. And what a mighty, controlled, hypnotic recitation he gives!” Chris Boyd, Herald Sun Theatre Reviewer

This fine theatrical staging of Ned Kelly’s explosive ‘manifesto’ has mesmerised audiences and critics alike since its debut at Melbourne’s La Mama theatre last year. Devised and performed by Peter Finlay, directed by Lloyd Jones and with live accompaniment by the noted writer/musician, Malcolm Hill, The Jerilderie Letter will be the must-see event of this year’s Ned Kelly Weekend,

9:30 – 10:30pm: Performance: Ned Kelly, by Ashley Davies & Ian Jones
Town Hall, Ford Street
Tickets: $22
“It was the hit of the festival” Patrick Donovan, music writer The Age.
Ashley Davies’ production of Ned Kelly is a raw, stripped back telling of a story that many Australians think they know. This acclaimed live show incorporates a six piece band and visual display including photos, historical documents, footage of Kelly country, and text narrated by Ian Jones, Australia’s foremost Kelly historian. The performance transports the audience to key moments in the life of Ned Kelly including his teenage years, his mother’s incarceration, the Gang’s bank robberies, the last stand at Glenrowan and the court proceedings. It all makes for a moving, powerful and true account of the Kelly story.

Sunday 3 August

>
10am – 11am: Talks by the Experts – TBC
Beechworth Historic Courthouse, Ford Street
Tickets: $17 adults, $11 children

11am – 12:30: Old Fashioned Fun and Games
Village Green, Police Paddocks (rear of Historic Precinct)
Free Events including, tug ‘o war, children’s games
11am: Judging of the Great Ned Kelly Weekend Beard Competition
More information to come.

11:30am: The Great Fight
Commemorating the marathon bare-knuckled fight between Ned Kelly and Isaiah ‘Wild’ Wright, a horse-breaker and avowed supporter of the Kelly family. Ned eventually won the 20 round stoush, which took place on the banks of Beechworth’s Spring Creek on 8 August 1874. Don’t miss the chance to dress in your Sunday Best period costume and cheer on the heroes of this fabled sporting contest.

10am – 5pm: Framed
Sub Treasury Building, Beechworth Historic Precinct
Ford Street
Entry by gold coin donation

12:30pm – 1:30pm: Special Tour - Ned Kelly at the Beechworth Courthouse
$5 adults, $3.50 concession $10 per family
Special Ned Kelly-themed guided tour of the Historic Courthouse

1:30pm – 2:30pm: Special Tour: Ellen Kelly-at the Beechworth Courthouse
$5 adults, $3.50 concession, $10 per family
The Ellen Kelly Tour will be led by Noelene Allen, a specialist on the subject of the life and times of Ned Kelly’s mother, Ellen.

2:30 – 5pm: Self-guided Tours of Beechworth Historic Courthouse
$5 adults, $3.50 concession, $10 per family

12 Noon – 1pm Ned on the Big Screen – Bail Up!
Beechworth Town Hall, Ford Street
Gold coin donation
Screening of the fascinating National Film & Sound Archive documentary, featuring a selection of fragments and scenes from the surviving titles of Australia’s bushranger films including The Story of the Kelly Gang, Thunderbolt (1910), Robbery Under Arms (1920) and When The Kellys Were Out (1923).

Across the weekend

1– 2pm and 3:30–4:30pm Saturday and Sunday
Ned Kelly Guided Walking Tour
Departs from the Beechworth Visitor Information Centre, Ford Street
Tickets: $7.50 adults, $5 concession, $15 family
Enjoy this lively and informative tour led by our experienced Guides. See the historic sites and hear the stories of Ned Kelly, his family and the Gang and their connection to Beechworth. A must for all Kelly enthusiasts or anyone interested in Australia’s most famous bushranger.

10am – 5pm: Exhibition Ned Kelly: Fact and Fiction
Burke Museum, Loch Street
Standard entry fees apply
Developed by the National Museum in Canberra, traces the story of the young man who gained notoriety as leader of the Kelly Gang, vowing to fight the authorities on behalf of the poor and oppressed, before he was captured and hanged in 1880. Also, part of the Burke Museum’s permanent collection, see one of the four known death masks created of Ned Kelly after his execution at Old Melbourne Gaol on 11 November 1880 as well as other Kelly-related artefacts.

Saturday 8.30 am & 3.15 pm, Sunday 8.30 am: Ned Kelly Mini Bus Tour
Maximum 20 people
Tickets: Adult $20, Concession $16; Family $44

Tour Historic Kelly sites on this 90-minute mini bus tour; view existing buildings with a Kelly connection within Beechworth Township. The tour includes the former Beechworth Goal (from outside), the Beechworth Cemetery and then onto Telegraph Rock and the Woolshed Valley to view the remains of the hut where Aaron Sherritt was murdered and other Kelly sites.

Congratulations - June Operators Of The Month

Congratulations to our June Operators of the Month: Beechworth Honey Experience, Serena Cottages, Lilac Cottage and Yackandandah Townshiphill Motel. Our operators of the month have their brochure in prime position with in the VIC and their image and link on the home page of www.beechworthonline.com.au

Vote for Beechworth

Victoria 101 is well underway.

After only a couple of weeks, RACV’s Victoria 101 best tourism experiences is a real hit with Victorians. Thousands of people have already been online and voted for their favourite tourism experiences.

We need you to vote for Beechworth as your favourite tourism experience

So stop blogging and start voting for Beechworth!

Star spotting in Beechworth

Michael at the Courthouse kindly informed the team at the Visitor Information Centre at closing time, that Chris Hemsworth (who played Kim Hyde off TV soapy Home And Away) enjoyed a visit to the Beechworth Historic Courthouse and Burke Museum yesterday.

My first response - "Oh my god Micheal, how come you didn't send Chris over here to the information centre?" Penny and I are huge Home And Away fans.

Congratulations Lake Sambell Caravan Park

Congratulations goes to Sue and Rodger at Lake Sambell Caravan Park - who have recently been awarded Green Star accredited by AAA Tourism for their environmentally friendly practices. They have been independently evaluated and had to meet a certain criteria. Things like glass, bottle, paper and cardboard recycling, black water dump point, dual flush toilets, water saving shower heads, front loading washing machines, non-smoking rooms, mulching garden waste, power saving light bulbs, requesting quests to turn off appliances when leaving rooms vacant etc., all contributed to Lake Sambell Caravan Park's accreditation.

Research by AAA Tourism has shown that almost two-thirds of travellers will be influenced in their accommodation decisions based on a property's environmentally friendly practices and accreditation, such as the Green Star.

The Green Star does not replace the existing property Star rating - the Green Star enhances the property's rating by acknowledging environmentally friendly practices.

Justice Lex Lasry awarded Honourary Doctorate

Australian Catholic University has awarded an honorary doctorate to the honourable Justice Lex Lasry QC for his contribution to social justice and law. Justice Lasry will be in Beechworth on Saturday 14 June to deliver the inaugural Beechworth Law Lecture, marking the 150th anniversary of the town's Historic Courthouse.

Justice Lex Lasry (right) with Australian Catholic University National Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Greg Craven
“The legal profession has had a champion in Lex Lasry, one whom they respect and acknowledge in different yet significant ways,” said ACU National Vice-Chancellor Professor Greg Craven.

Lex Lasry was admitted to practise as a prosecutor in 1973 and later became a renowned criminal defence lawyer. He was quickly recognised within the legal profession for his astuteness and high intelligence. He became well known within Victorian legal circles for his role assisting the Costigan Royal Commission, as temporary counsel assisting the National Crime Authority, and for his role in inquiries following fatal police shootings in the late 1980s.
But it was when he turned to criminal defence law that Lex Lasry was put most prominently in the public eye.

“Few Australians were unmoved by the poignant and emotionally draining scenes as he fought with all his knowledge of law and called for compassion and mercy in the case to stop the hanging of a drug offender convicted in Singapore between 2002 and 2005,” said Professor Craven.
Justice Lasry’s sensitivity to the individual and his determination to end the practice of capital punishment have earned him the respect of people across the political spectrum. This and other major cases have marked him as a man of high principle, one prepared to take on cases which opened up issues of civil rights and ethics.

An outspoken advocate of causes, especially for the abolition of the death penalty, Justice Lasry is regularly invited to address both legal practitioners, university students and community groups on issues of social justice, human rights, and those of ethical and moral significance. He has maintained an apolitical stance, standing out against any political party trying to own him or his views.
Most recently as a justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria, Justice Lasry maintains his continuing commitment to the rights of the individual.

Australian Catholic University (ACU National) established as Australia’s only Catholic, national, publicly funded university is open to all. The University empowers its students and staff with a strong sense of social responsibility and concern for the moral and ethical dimensions of their study and their professional and personal lives.

Beechworth Harvest Celebration 2008

Beechworth is preparing to serve up a feast of mouth-watering local fare with the return of the annual Harvest Celebration on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 May.

Now in its 15th year, the event is a gourmet’s dream, highlighting the renowned wine and produce of this blessed region at one of the most glorious times of the year to visit.

Day One of the Harvest Celebration on Saturday 17 May will see the vignerons of the Beechworth Wine Region, including some normally closed to the public, throwing open their cellar doors to visitors. This is an opportunity for wine-lovers to visit some of the premier boutique wineries of the North East. Throughout the day and evening Beechworth’s famed restaurants and eateries will feature special menus offering fine local produce and matching wines. A Gala Harvest Dinner at The Pines at La Trobe @ Beechworth will be an experience not to be missed. To secure your booking, phone (03) 5720 8050.

On Sunday 18 May the Harvest Celebration showcases local produce. Huge marquees in the centre of Beechworth’s Historic & Cultural Precinct will transform the area into a giant smorgasbord all day from 10am to 5pm.

Local temptations will include venison, pork and lamb, apples, pears and chestnuts, organic vegetables, preserves, jams, relishes and pickles, olive oils and table olives, bread, cakes and pastries, lavender and saffron products as well as fortified and table wines, boutique beers and cordials.

The Harvest Celebration Presentation Stage will be hosted by actor and comedian, John Walker and will feature demonstrations by talented local chefs, expert tips on cooking chestnuts, pretzel-making, the word on organic wines and having fun baking bread and pastries.

This year’s children’s program has been expanded with entertainment throughout the afternoon including the return of the popular dough-making workshops. Also back in 2008 is the Street Full of Scarecrows for the third year running. Prizes will be presented to the best scarecrows on the Presentation Stage during the afternoon.

The inaugural Beechworth Harvest Celebration was held on Mother's Day Weekend in 1994 as a one-day event aimed at showcasing the diversity and quality of food and wine being produced in the region. Fifteen years on, this now eagerly anticipated event on the Beechworth calendar has gone from strength to strength into a full weekend of activities.

Meet the Beechworth Visitor Information Centre Scarecrows

As you know the Beechworth Harvest Celebration is on this weekend 17th and 18th May 2008. And we have been busy making scarecrows out of recycled materials...brochure boxes, out of date brochures, old uniforms etc.

So let me proudly introduce our Beechworth Visitor Information Scarecrows - Happy Hannah and Friendly Fredia

National Volunteers Week 2008

Monday 12th May 2008 is the start of National Volunteer Week. We would like the opportunity to say thank you to our wonderful team of volunteers at the Visitor Information Centre.

I took the opportunity to ask some of our volunteers, why do they volunteer at the Visitor Information Centre?

“Volunteering at the Information Centre is great fun! You get back more than what you give” Pauline Carson

“I really enjoy my time at the Info Centre, talking to lots of happy relaxed holidaying visitors is always a buzz. I also get to know what’s going on in my own town, so I never miss out on any events either” Lesley Finedon

Volunteering at the Beechworth Visitor Information Centre offers an excellent
opportunity to:
• Meet new people
• Be a part of a great team environment
• Help your local community
• Promote Beechworth and our Shire
• Share local knowledge
• Lean about events and latest news
• Keep busy
• Have fun

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer? Phone us on 1300 366 321

The Scarecrows are coming again…

Will Your Scarecrow be Ready to Join the Party?

Prizes to be won!!!

Beechworth Harvest Festival
Ford Street, Beechworth
Sunday 18 May 2008
Set up by 8.30am
Collect by 3pm

Promote recycling by making a scarecrow
Recycled materials only

Entry free for Student Section
$10 entry for Open Section
Judging at 1pm

Book your entry in by 4pm, Monday May 12, 2008
Contact Estelle Paterson at Beechworth Secondary College

Congratulations - May Operators Of The Month

Congratulations to our May Operators of the Month: Rail Trail Retreat, Beechworth Ghost Tours, Colby Cottages and Foxgloves B&B. Our operators of the month have their brochure in prime position with in the VIC and their image and link on the home page of www.beechworthonline.com.au

Its Autumn in Beechworth

The Beechworth Visitor Information Centre (BVIC) has been very busy during March and April with a combined total of 22,239 visitors coming into the BVIC compared to 18,123 over the same period in 2007.

We have had lots of visitors come to Beechworth especially to see the magnificent Autumn leaves. I throughly enjoyed taking photos of the Autumn colours my lunch break for you to enjoy.

Kerry

Book your tickets for The Postmasters Office'

The “Postmasters Office”

All –Australian Music Show
Original, Traditional & Modern Contemporary styles


With Special Guest Performer
Pat Drummond also featuring Singer/Song writers Neil Higgins & Tracy Hamilton

Friday 25th April 2008
Time: 8pm
GLE Social Club rooms (Fromalley know as the ‘Buffs Lodge’)
53 Ford Street, Beechworth
Ticket Entry Free: Adults $12.00, Concession $10.00
Tickets available at the Beechworth Visitor Information Centre
For Further Information Contact 0427 176 742
www.neilhiggins.com.au

How many faces can you see?

Copyright John Osmond 2008


John & Kathryn Osmond also went on the Beechworth Ghost Tour with Adam Jenkins. Interestingly John's camera worked in the cell and captured this image.
This is a reflection of a window on the wall. The window is not at ground level.

Can you see anything? I can just make out one face. How many faces can you see?

Beechworth Ghost Tour

Staff and volunteers from the Beechworth Visitor Information Centre enjoyed the Beechworth Ghost Tour with tour guide Adam Jenkins last week. Of course we picked the best night of the week, with strong wind and rain adding to the atmosphere.

Adam took us around the former Mayday Hills Lunatic Asylum in the grounds of La Trobe University. We learned about what it was like living in the institution in the 1860s and went inside some buildings that have been closed for 60 years.

For those who know me best, I am a keen photographer. I had my Nikon D80 ready to photograph a ghost on the tour. Unfortunately I that didn't happen and the best i could do was to capture the reflection of my lantern light in the window.


Interestingly there was one particular cell with an interesting past. I tried to take a photo in the cell and my camera froze, it just would not work. Adam mentioned that this wasn't the first time a camera wouldn't work in the cell.

The tour was fantastic. For further information on Beechworth Ghost Tours go to
http://www.beechworthonline.com.au/accom_result1/beechworth_ghost_tours/

Lambing time at Nullegai Homestead

We recieved an email from Bernie at Nullegai Homestead B&B, Beechworth. The lamb is so cute! Thanks for the photo Bernie!



Hi Penny, Anne & Kerry
This family stayed with us for a week after Easter. They really liked the farm. The lamb is a day old.
regards
Karen & Bernie

Bollywood comes to Beechworth

The Beechworth Visitor Information Centre team and partners enjoyed the Indian themed dinner last Thursday night at Sambells Bar and Bistro, La Trobe at Beechworth. Someone suggested we should dress in sari’s (not mentioning any names - James) Thanks to Google, You Tube and James Tool (volunteer) we discovered the art of wearing an Indian Sari. It was a fun evening enjoyed by all. Next stop Bollywood….

Free Public Open Day this Sunday

Visitors to Beechworth and locals re-acquainting themselves with the delights of their home town can explore free of charge the Historic & Cultural Precinct this Sunday 2 March between 10am and 2pm.


The Precinct Open Day is the first of a number of activities being planned by Indigo Shire Council during 2008 to mark the 150th anniversary of the nationally significant collection of gold era buildings known as the Historic & Cultural Precinct.


Open Day activities include the recreation of a police camp in the Police Paddocks and marching drills by the Mansfield Re-enactment Group, Precinct guides in period costume, souvenir stalls and more.


The Heritage Victoria, National Estate and National Trust-listed buildings include the Courthouse where Ned Kelly and his mother Ellen famously appeared, the Telegraph Station which still operates as a centre for Telegram transmission, the Gold Warden’s Office, Chinese Cultural Centre, Powder Magazine and Burke Museum where the fascinating Cabinet of Wonders: Treasure from the Beechworth Community exhibition is currently on show.


Several of the buildings were completed in 1858. Built of local honey-coloured granite, they replaced the weatherboard structures that sprang up soon after gold was discovered in 1852. By then more than 8000 miners were camped on Beechworth’s Spring and Reid’s Creek goldfields alone, and as the population grew, so to did the need for improved services such as law and order, communications, town planning, education, goldfields management and local government.


Beechworth Historic & Cultural Precinct FREE PUBLIC OPEN DAY, Sunday 2 March, 10am – 2pm.
For more information or to book a Ned Kelly or Gold Walking Tour, contact the Beechworth Visitor Information Centre, phone 1300 366 321 or visit www.beechworthonline.com.au

HISTORY, MUSIC & FUN! Easter - Friday 21 to Sunday 23 March 2008

Australian Youth Band set
to bring some pizzazz to 2008 Golden Horseshoes Festival

One of the most exciting musical outfits in the country, the Australian Youth Band, is set to bring some old style razzle-dazzle to the Beechworth Golden Horseshoes Festival this Easter.

This talented bunch of more than 40 young musicians is a fully equipped American-style marching band whose energy and flair have earned them an international reputation and a packed performance schedule.

The band has been invited to form the Victorian contingent of musicians for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Orchestra - a 2008-piece ensemble performing at Olympic venues in and around Beijing throughout the Games this August, as well as in Shanghai and Tianjin. More than 20 members of the AYB will be taking part.

The AYB will be a highlight of this year’s Grand Parade through the streets of picturesque Beechworth in north-east Victoria on Easter Saturday and a perfect fit for his year’s Festival theme of History, Music & Fun!

The ensemble has a vast repertoire ranging from upbeat marching numbers to show tunes and contemporary sounds to symphonic works, performing regularly at festivals and major community and sporting events around Australia and overseas including the Beijing International Youth Festival, World Marching Band Festival – Japan, AFL, NBL and NSL finals, MCG Olympic Torch Ceremony and ANZAC Day March in Melbourne.

The Victoria Police Pipe Band and the combined Albury Pipes & Drums and The Scots School Albury Pipe Band will add further colour to the spectacular annual Golden Horseshoes Grand Parade which this year will feature guest commentators, comedian John Walker and entertainer, Mark ‘Lazy Harry’ Stephens.

A host of other bands and musicians will also appear in the Grand Parade as well as the outdoor stage on Camp Street throughout the weekend, including the sensational Melbourne-based Inka Marka playing their irresistible South American rhythms.

A highlight of the Easter weekend in Beechworth, the Golden Horseshoes Grand Parade will be an unmissable event as dozens of outlandish, colourful, historic and funny floats vie for the inaugural Beechworth Bakery Perpetual Trophy for Best Float.


FOR ACCOMMODATION BOOKINGS AND FULL PROGRAM DETAILS OF THIS YEAR’S GOLDEN HORSESHOES FESTIVAL GO TO WWW.BEECHWORTHONLINE.COM.AU

2008 milestone for Beechworth Historic Precinct

In 2008 Beechworth celebrates the sesquicentenary of its nationally significant collection of gold era buildings known as the Historic & Cultural Precinct.

Indigo Shire Council will kick off a year of activities marking the 150th milestone of the Heritage Victoria, National Estate and National Trust-listed buildings with a public Open Day on Sunday 2 March offering free access to Precinct buildings, re-enactments and stalls.


Several of the buildings, including the Courthouse where Ned Kelly and his mother Ellen famously appeared, the Telegraph Station, and Gold Warden’s Office were completed in 1858. Built of local honey-coloured granite, they replaced the weatherboard structures that sprang up soon after gold was discovered in 1852. By then more than 8000 miners were camped on Beechworth’s Spring and Reid’s Creek goldfields alone, and as the population grew, so to did the need for improved services such as law and order, communications, town planning, education, goldfields management and local government.


Still with its original furniture and fittings, the Beechworth Courthouse is the jewel in the Precinct crown. Completed in June 1858, it operated continuously as a working Court for 131 years and has been the setting for some of the most fascinating court cases in Victoria’s history.


Ned Kelly appeared there twice, including his committal hearing over the murders of Constables Lonigan and Scanlon. Ned’s mother Ellen Kelly received a three-year jail sentence for the attempted murder of Constable Fitzpatrick and Elizabeth Scott, the first woman executed in Victoria, received the death sentence in this building.


Robert O’Hara Burke the ill-fated explorer, and Police Superintendent in Beechworth from 1854-58, once sat at the bench and Justice Sir Redmond Barry presided over many trials there. Sir Isaac Isaacs started his legal career here before rising to become Australia’s first native-born Governor-General.

The Precinct also includes the Chinese Protector’s Office, the Gold Warden’s Office.

Police Stables, Police Lockup, Police Reserve, Town Hall, Robert O’Hara Burke Memorial Museum and the Powder Magazine, located a short distance from the Precinct complex.

The 150th anniversary of the Beechworth Historic & Cultural Precinct will be commemorated throughout the year.


Beechworth Historic & Cultural Precinct FREE PUBLIC OPEN DAY, Sunday 2 March, 10am – 2pm.
For more information or to book a Ned Kelly or Gold Walking Tour, contact the Beechworth Visitor Information Centre, phone 1300 366 321 or visit www.beechworthonline.com.au

HISTORY, MUSIC & FUN! Easter - Friday 21 to Sunday 23 March Huge Festival Treasure Hunt returns: $2000 Golden Egg up for grabs at Golden Horseshoes

The Golden Horseshoes Festival, one of the most popular annual events in regional Victoria, returns to Beechworth in exactly one month today, from Good Friday 21 to Easter Sunday 23 March.

With its 2008 theme of History, Music & Fun! the packed program, announced today by Golden Horseshoes Festival Committee Chairman, Leo Nette, includes a host of events for all ages across the Easter weekend, capped by the wildly popular Hunt for the Golden Egg on Easter Sunday.

In a new twist this year fortune hunters will turn super-sleuth as they search for clues on a special treasure map of the streets of Beechworth. The first correct entry drawn at 2pm on Easter Sunday will win the sensational grand prize donated by Beechworth Gold of an egg encased in $2000 of gold.

Other highlights of the 2008 program include:
• Free performances by the sensational Australian Youth Band, an American-style marching band which has appeared around Australia and overseas, including the Beijing International Youth Festival. AYB members will be among the 2008-strong youth band being formed worldwide to perform at the Beijing Olympics in August this year.
• The Grand Parade, featuring special guest commentators, comedian John Walker and entertainer, Lazy Harry and featuring the inaugural Beechworth Bakery Perpetual Trophy for Best Float.
• A chance for the whole family to Discover Museum Victoria. This fantastic interactive display includes ancient fossils, dinosaur bones, exhibits from the Museum’s natural history collection as well as the real Federation Hand Bells created to mark the centenary of Federation in Victoria.
• The Easter Quilt Shows featuring dozens of exquisite modern and antique quilts
• An outdoor food court in Camp Street, this year extended to all day Saturday and Sunday
• Art Alley ‘plein air’ exhibition featuring work from artists of the four Indigo shire Arts Councils of Beechworth, Rutherglen, Yackandandah and Chiltern.
• Free outdoor stage performances by a host of talent including the irresistible rhythms of Melbourne-based South American band, Inca Marka

The 2008 program will also see the return of perennial favourites including Daniel Cameron’s famous ride through Beechworth on a horse shod with golden shoes, the huge Good Friday Fun Run and the Easter Bunny appearing on Easter Sunday laden with free chocolate eggs for children.

This year for the first time, an incorporated community committee has taken on responsibility for planning and producing the Beechworth Golden Horseshoes Festival. Mr Nette said today the event was well on track to be even bigger and better than the highly successful Festival of 2007 which attracted estimated crowds of 20,000.

Festival Chairman, Leo Nette is available for interview, phone (03) 5728-1873 or
0429 606 439. To obtain hi-res images please contact Sue Couttie at Indigo Shire, phone (03) 5728 8061 or email scouttie@indigoshire.vic.gov.au

Charles Dickens’ writing desk unearthed in Beechworth Cabinets of Wonder: Treasure from the Beechworth Community Opens this Thursday 21 February - 30

Tuesday 19 February 2008


Two days out from the official opening of the Cabinets of Wonder at Beechworth’s Burke Museum, an astonishing assortment of privately owned artefacts and collections from the local community are still coming to light.

A portable writing desk owned by Charles Dickens is one of the many treasures individuals and organisations have loaned to the Burke for the six-month exhibition.


An amazing collection of skulls of small native mammals, cranial instruments from the Beechworth Hospital, book marks, Egyptian artefacts, egg cups, brooches, a rock collection and a 100 year-old Chilean bird-eating spider have recently found their way into the Burke’s Cabinets of Wonder.


Burke Museum Collections Officer, Linda Peacock, says response has been overwhelming: “Once word got out about the exhibition we were inundated with offers of objects for display. And what’s been really surprising is the variety and quality of artefacts that have come in. We could fill the entire museum with community collections alone!”


The Hon. Tim Fischer, the Patron of the Indigo Tourism Board, officially opens Cabinets of Wonder: Treasure from the Beechworth Community this Thursday 21 February. The exhibition runs until 30 June.


With its extraordinary collection of Aboriginal artefacts from the early to mid-19th century, an amazing natural history collection including an extremely rare stuffed Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger) as well as thousands of artefacts, journals and photographs Beechworth’s historic Burke Museum could be described as a Wunderkammer (Cabinet of Wonder) in its own right.


Named in honour of the ill-fated explorer, Robert O’Hara Burke who was Police Superintendent during Beechworth’s heady gold rush days of 1854 – 1858, the Burke Museum is part of the town’s nationally significant Historic & Cultural Precinct, which this year celebrates its sesquicentenary.

Second Magical Mystery Tour planned

Following the unprecedented success of its Magical Mystery Tour conducted last year, the Friends of the Robert O'Hara Burke Memorial Museum have planned another twilight walk, this time with a different twist.

Over 100 locals and visitors turned up on December 12 to be shown around some of Beechworth's oldest and least publicly accessible buildings before enjoying a light supper with wine on the balcony of the former Star Hotel. The demand for another such event was clear.

This time the theme is of an historic religious flavour and celebrates the many delightful buildings of great character built over the past 150 years in the town.

Adam Jenkins serves on the committee of the Friends and was the initiator of the Magical Mystery Tour idea.

"This time there will be improvements in organisation with groups limited to 20, tickets to be bought before the event, and expert tour guides will be present at each site of interest to tell the history of the building, show people inside, and to give out written summaries", he said.

Tickets for the second Magical Mystery Tour on Saturday 8 March 2008 (Labour Day weekend) are $10 each and are available at the Burke Museum up to 6 March. The groups will meet at 6pm at the Burke Museum and return there after the tour for a light supper in its "Street of Shops".

Funds raised from the tour will be used to further improve the Burke Museum, one of Australia's finest regional museums.

by Gaynor Matthew

SEE DIGITAL PHOTO: Adam Jenkins and Uniting Church member Dorn Hawking on the steps of Beechworth Uniting Church, one of the many churches on the second Magical Mystery Tour.

Burke Museum uncovers hidden Beechworth treasure Cabinets of Wonder: Treasure from the Beechworth Community 21 February – 30 June

Thursday 7 February 2008

Oak souvenired from the hull of Nelson’s ship HMS Victory, a prison-made knuckle-duster, perfume bottles and a collection of beer coasters are among the dozens of weird and wonderful artefacts to be shown in the Cabinets of Wonder: Treasure from the Beechworth Community exhibition officially opening at the Burke Museum on Thursday 21 February.



Visitors will be able to peek into the drawers, cupboards, nooks and crannies to view the private collections – from the everyday to the bizarre – of individuals and local organisations who responded enthusiastically to the Burke’s invitation to offer their treasured possessions for public display.



“The exhibition offers fascinating insights into the nature of collecting as well as the community from which the collections have come to light,” says Burke Museum Collections Officer, Linda Peacock. “It’s very much about reflecting the interests and passions of local people and gives them the chance to involve themselves directly in the process of curating their own exhibition.”



Highlights of the Cabinets of Wonder: Treasure from the Beechworth Community exhibition include:

-A collection of ingeniously crafted contraband made by inmates of the Beechworth Prison
-From the eminent historian, Ian Jones, a Beechworth local, a collection of HMS Victory memorabilia from his great-grandfather, a naval man who trained on the ship in the 1840s
-Historic trophies from the Beechworth Football Club
-A collection of postmarked letters from Beechworth and Stanley dated between 1855 and 1875
-A collection of porcelain containers and bottles unearthed from the Chinese camp area of Beechworth’s Spring Creek goldfields
-Historic items from Beechworth’s Lodge of St. John


The idea of Cabinets of Wonder is centuries old. The original Wunderkammers – Cabinets of Wonder or wonder-rooms boasted intriguing collections belonging to those aristocrats, monarchs or merchants who could afford to create and maintain them. They were usually made from exotic and expensive materials and often filled with contents and ornamental details intended to reflect the entire cosmos on a miniature scale.



Beechworth’s historic Burke Museum could be described as a Wunderkammer in its own right, with its extraordinary collection of Aboriginal artefacts from the early to mid-19th century, an amazing natural history collection including an extremely rare stuffed Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger) as well as thousands of artefacts, journals and photographs from Beechworth’s heady gold rush days to the present.



The Patron of the Indigo Tourism Board, Hon. Tim Fischer, will officially launch Beechworth’s own Wunderkammers at 6pm on Thursday 21 February. The Cabinets of Wonder exhibition runs until June.



For more information, please contact Indigo Shire Tourism Officer, Sue Couttie,
phone (03) 5728 8061 or scouttie@indigoshire.vic.gov.au


Cabinets of Wonder: Treasure from the Beechworth Community
Where: Robert O’Hara Burke Memorial Museum

Address: Loch St, Beechworth
Dates: 21 February – 30 June 2008

HISTORY, MUSIC & FUN! Beechworth gets set for bumper 2008 Golden Horseshoes Festival

The countdown is on for the return of Beechworth’s biggest annual celebration, the Golden Horseshoes Festival, over the Easter weekend from Friday 21 to Sunday 23 March.

With a theme of History, Music & Fun! the 2008 program will see the return of old favourites including the Grand Parade, the re-enactment of Daniel Cameron’s famous ride through Beechworth on a horse shod with golden shoes and a massive Children’s Easter Egg hunt on Easter Sunday, as well as a host of exciting new events including displays, markets, performances and competitions.

A focus on multiculturalism as well as a strong music line-up will put some extra Fiesta into the Festival with a packed program of events for all ages.

This year for the first time, an incorporated community committee has taken on responsibility for planning and producing the Beechworth Golden Horseshoes Festival.

Committee Chairman, Leo Nette, says the event is well on track to be even bigger and better than the highly successful Festival of 2007 which attracted estimated crowds of 20,000.

“But the success of any event lies with the support it gets from its local community, so we’re still keen to hear from anyone interested in **volunteering their time over Easter to help us with Parade marshalling, public information assistance, setting up and manning displays.”

He added that there was still time to **enter a float for the Grand Parade and urged local groups and individuals to get into the spirit of what is shaping up to be another sensational Golden Horseshoes Festival in Beechworth.

Full details of this year’s Beechworth Golden Horseshoes Festival will be available with the release of the official program later this month. Leo Nette is available for interview and hi-res images from the 2007 event are available on request.


Anyone interested in volunteering should contact Leo Nette, Chairman of the Beechworth Golden Horseshoes Committee on (03) 5728-1873 or 0429 606 439. To enter a float in the Grand Parade, contact Kathryn Osmond on (03) 5728 2866 or 0428 282 968